There’s another World Cup being hosted in Qatar this year - and it will change lives

“When people see me on the streets they think I am worthless – they say I am just a street child, but when they see me playing football, they say I am a person, I am person like them.”

– Andile, Team South Africa 2010

Whilst the world gears up for the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East, few know there is another World Cup taking place in Qatar this year. It may not offer the same star-studded glamour Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi bring to the biggest football event on the planet, but this World Cup carries parallel importance.

A World Cup not just about football. A World Cup that gives hope. A World Cup that brings together the most vulnerable children on the planet. This October, the Street Child World Cup will take place in Doha, Qatar, shining a spotlight on children living in street situations and championing their rights for a more fair and just society.

The UN estimates that there are up to 150 million street children in the world that number is likely far greater; many are not registered at birth and remain unknown to government organisations. A lack of formal identification is often the first stumbling block; welfare education and healthcare are all but impossible to access because they have no legal ID and therefore, no way to improve their situation. Without adequate protection these children are often exploited and exposed to violence, with little or no protection from harm.

So, what is the Street Child World Cup and how does it work? John Wroe, Street Child United CEO and founder explains:

“The Street Child World Cup is what it says on the tin. An actual football World Cup. For street children. Children initially without birth certificates, let alone passports or visas, being invited to play